Top 10 Number-Three Batsmen in One Day Cricket of all time

Much like football, cricket too is a team sport, where each member is assigned a vital role as part of the team’s game plan. If the opener’s role in cricket is to fend off the new ball and provide the opening salvo for their team, the number three is a pivotal position in the batting order and generally assigned to the most accomplished stroke maker. The number three batsman is responsible to play the sheet anchor’s role and build an innings. So the person in question has to be technically sound to stabilize the innings and also play the role of an aggressor if the situation demands.

Dependability and consistency have to be the forte of a number-three batsman. If we go into the history of ODI cricket, some of the batting legends of the game donned the number three position for their team’s and went on to become the lynchpin of their batting orders.

So, it would be very interesting to compile a list of the all-time top 10 number-three batsmen who have played in that position in ODI cricket.

In this list, only those batsmen are considered who had a fairly long run playing at the number-three position and scored runs consistently for their teams. For this selection, only those batsmen have been taken who scored more than 2000 runs at an average of nearly 40, batting at the number-three position in One Day Internationals. Batsmen who were consistent run-getters with an impressive strike rate and penchant for scoring 100s definitely make a greater impact on their team and on the matches overall. Hence, they have been ranked higher on the list of the top ten number-three batsmen in the history of One Day Internationals.

Honourable Mentions:

India - Gautam Gambhir, Mohammad Azharuddin and Mohinder Amarnath

Pakistan - Zaheer Abbas, Ijaz Ahmed and Mohammad Yousuf

Sri Lanka - Marvan Atapattu and Asanka Gurusinha

West Indies - Richie Richardson, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul

England - Graeme Hick, Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell

South Africa - Hansie Cronje and Faf Du Plessis

New Zealand - Stephen Fleming

Australia - Dean Jones

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10. Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson has been hailed as New Zealand’s greatest ODI batsman after Martin Crowe. The supremely gifted Williamson has been Kiwis standout batsman at the number three position. Kane has all the shots in his armoury and scores his runs at a brisk pace. The Black Caps had to wait for a dependable number three after Stephen Fleming's retirement from ODIs and Williamson put up his hands to take up the pivotal position in the batting lineup.

Kane is equally adept against pace or spin and his calm temperament helps him occupy the crease and play the long innings for the Black Caps in the limited overs cricket.

ODI Record Batting at Number 3

Matches 95 Runs 4404 Avg 50.62 SR 84.20 100s 9

9. Joe Root

England v India - 2nd ODI: Royal London One-Day Series

Joe Root has been England’s batting lynch-pin in the middle order. Root has been superbly consistent for England in white ball cricket. With his orthodox technique and textbook strokes, he is the ideal man for England to have at the crucial number three position.

The Yorkshire cricketer likes to start his innings steadily and then launches into the opposition bowling. Besides being at ease against seamers, Root has good footwork and plays spin well. His calming presence helps the likes of Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler to accelerate for England in the middle and later stages of an innings.

ODI Record Batting at Number 3

Matches 54 Runs 2665 Avg 61.97 SR 91.32 100s 9

8. Inzamam Ul Haq

Inzamam Ul Haq

The gentle giant from Pakistan had loads of patience and composure batting at number three for Pakistan. 'Inzi' made batting look effortless with his lazy elegance. He had the ability to play the ball late and was a master at milking the singles.

A master at reading the game situation, Haq could pace his innings to perfection and took his team across the finishing line more often than not. A natural ball striker, Haq looked at his best when he sent spinners for massive sixes straight down the ground.

ODI Record Batting at Number 3

Matches 61 Runs 2033 Avg 39.09 SR 68.54 100s 2

7. Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid was the lynch-pin of the Indian middle order in ODIs for almost two decades. ‘Jammy’ had a watertight technique and a rock solid defence to fend off potent attacks. While Sachin and Ganguly provided the opening salvo, Dravid was the ideal number 3 batsman who consolidated the breezy starts and built a solid platform for the 'Men in Blue'.

Whenever the openers fell early, Dravid, also known as 'The Wall', was equal to the task in rebuilding the innings. He played the sheet anchor’s role to perfection and quietly went about his run-scoring business. In seam-friendly conditions abroad, Dravid became an impregnable wall in the Indian middle order which was hard for the opposition's bowling attack to breach.

ODI Record Batting at Number 3

Matches 112 Runs 4000 Avg 38.83 SR 69.60 100s 7

6. Vivian Richards

Vivian Richards

Sir Vivian Richards was arguably one of the best number three ODI batsmen of all time. Richards was way ahead of his time with transformed the way ODI cricket was played with his enthralling strokeplay. A stocky built attacking batsman, Richards could tear apart the best of bowling with utter disdain. He became West Indies staple Number 3 batsman and spearheaded a power-packed Windies middle order comprising of fellow stalwarts like Alvin Kallicharran, Larry Gomes, Clive Lloyd, Gus Logie, Collis Kings and Jeffrey Dujon.

Richards had all the shots in his armoury and executed them to perfection. Richards accumulated over 2000 runs at a staggering 50 plus average with a strike rate of over 85. In a nutshell, the mere presence of Richards at the crease was demoralizing for the opposition bowling camp.

ODI Record Batting at Number 3

Matches 52 Runs 2418 Avg 57.57 SR 86.88 100s 5

5. Jacques Kallis

Jacques Kallis

Jacques Kallis was South Africa’s perennial number three batsman for almost two decades in ODI cricket. Kallis was an accomplished ODI batsman with a classical defence, assured footwork and wide array of shots. Kallis was Proteas’ batting mainstay and steered their ship in the middle order. His consistency at run scoring was unmatched and a staggering ODI average of over 45 is testimony to the same.

A well-organised technique with an upright stance was the signature of Kallis’ elegant batting. He rarely failed and became South Africa’s batting workhorse during the reigns of Hansie Cronje and Graeme Smith.

ODI Record Batting at Number 3

Matches 204 Runs 7774 Avg 45.72 SR 73.74 100s 13

4. Kumara Sangakkara

England v Sri Lanka - 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup

Kumara Sangakkara was arguably Sri Lanka’s most dependable ODI batsman for almost two decades. Sangakkara made the number three position his own and attached a prize to his wicket. Consistency was his forte and he delivered the goods with the willow. Be it exquisite timing or great balance, 'Sanga' had all the hallmarks of an elegant stroke maker.

Bestowed with a calm head, Sangakkara could grind oppositions with his waiting game and also lodge into attacks with relative ease. The Sri Lankan batting maestro formed a lethal partnership with Mahela Jayawardene in the middle order and made Sri Lanka one of the most potent batting units in the limited overs arena.

ODI Record Batting at Number 3

Matches 243 Runs 9747 Avg 44.71 SR 80.50 100s 18

3. Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli has established himself as one of the most prolific run-getters in ODI cricket. The Indian skipper's run-scoring pedigree runs short of superlatives. Kohli owns the number three spot with his phenomenal consistency at notching up big scorers. A master at chasing down daunting totals, Kohli takes the onus of taking the team across the finishing line with his pedigree of scoring match-winning tons. Kohli’s batting is more on the conventional lines and he plays risk-free shots to compile a near to error-free innings.

Kohli’s art of pacing his innings makes him a class apart from other batsmen. He has led the ODI run-scoring charts for a couple of seasons and is hailed as the best batsman in white ball cricket. Above all, he is an extremely ambitious cricketer with a burning desire to do well for the 'Men in Blue'

ODI Record Batting at Number 3

Matches 152 Runs 7686 Avg 61.48 SR 93.23 100s 28

2. Brian Lara

Brian Lara

One of the most enthralling stroke makers to grace the Gentleman’s game, Brian Lara certainly established himself as dependable number three for the Windies for the most part of the 90s. Lara was a fan’s delight with his encapsulating high backlift and a typical Calypso late shuffle across the stumps.

The 'Prince from Trinidad' looked regal with his flourishing drives and late cuts. With the West Indies not having a stable opening combination in ODIs, a lot of onus fell on Lara to construct the innings. An outright match winner on his day, Lara could make batting look easy with some breath-taking innings. A select few batsmen had the ability to play pace and spin with the same ease, Lara was one of them.

ODI Record Batting at Number 3

Matches 109 Runs 4447 Avg 45.84 SR 85.98 100s 12

1. Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting was one of the most aggressive stroke makers in one day cricket. Ponting encashed on the opening exploits of Hayden-Gilchrist combination and provided impetus to the Australian middle order. A quality player against fast bowling, Ponting could flay away attacks with his belligerent strokeplay. Arguably the best exponent of the pull shot, Ricky looked vintage while pulling the seamers with full command.

A prolific run-getter with a penchant to score the big match winning hundreds, 'Punter' spearheaded an impregnable Australian middle order which comprised of fellow stalwarts like Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds and Michael Hussey.

ODI Record Batting at Number 3

Matches 335 Runs 12662 Avg 42.48 SR 80.73 100s 29